The staff of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) requires additional environmental analysis to support its decision on a right-of-way (ROW) application for the Seminoe Pumped Storage Project No. 14787 (Seminoe Project). BLM staff, in cooperation with Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) staff, will prepare a supplement (supplemental EIS) to the June 12, 2026 final environmental impact statement for the Seminoe Project. The supplemental EIS will supplement discussions of the environmental impacts of the proposed BLM ROW application associated with the Seminoe Project. Additionally, the BLM will discuss and analyze amending components of the Rawlins Resource Management Plan (RMP), listed in the Alternatives Considered section of this notice. The Seminoe Project would be located at the Bureau of Reclamation's (Reclamation) Seminoe Reservoir on the North Platte River in Carbon County, Wyoming, approximately 35 miles northeast of Rawlins, Wyoming.^[1] The BLM will use this supplemental EIS in its decision-making process in compliance with National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) of 1976. The schedule for preparing the supplemental EIS is discussed in the Schedule for Environmental Review section of this notice.

As part of the NEPA review process, the BLM and Commission take into account concerns the public may have about proposals and the environmental impacts that could result whenever it considers the issuance of a project. This gathering of public input is referred to ( printed page 58668) as “scoping.” The Commission previously solicited public input on scoping documents for the Seminoe Project. See the final EIS issued June 12, 2026, for details on the Commission's previous scoping efforts.

With this notice, the BLM is announcing the beginning of the scoping period to solicit public comments and identify issues and is providing the planning criteria for public review. The BLM Wyoming State Director intends to prepare an RMP Amendment (RMPA) with an associated supplemental EIS for the Rawlins Resource Management Plan. The RMPA is being considered to allow the BLM to evaluate the ROW associated with the Seminoe Pumped Storage Project, which would require amending the existing Rawlins RMP.^[2] To ensure that your comments are timely and properly recorded, please submit your comments so that the Commission receives them in Washington, DC, on or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on October 13, 2026.

Public Participation

There are three methods you can use to submit your comments to the Commission. The Commission encourages electronic filing of comments and has staff available to assist you at (866) 208-3676 or FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov. Please carefully follow these instructions so that your comments are properly recorded.

(1) You can file your comments electronically using the eComment feature, which is located on the Commission's website ( www.ferc.gov) under the link to FERC Online. Using eComment is an easy method for submitting brief, text-only comments on a project;

(2) You can file your comments electronically by using the eFiling feature, which is located on the Commission's website ( www.ferc.gov) under the link to FERC Online. With eFiling, you can provide comments in a variety of formats by attaching them as a file with your submission. New eFiling users must first create an account by clicking on “eRegister.” You will be asked to select the type of filing you are making; a comment on a particular project is considered a “Comment on a Filing”; or

(3) You can file a paper copy of your comments by mailing them to the Commission. Be sure to reference the project docket number (P-14787-004) on your letter. Submissions sent via the U.S. Postal Service must be addressed to: Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. Submissions sent via any other carrier must be addressed to: Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20852.

Additionally, the Commission offers a free service called eSubscription. This service provides automatic notification of filings made to subscribed dockets, document summaries, and direct links to the documents. Go to www.ferc.gov/​ferc-online/​overview to register for eSubscription.

For public inquiries and assistance with making filings, contact the Office of Public Participation at (202)502-6595 or OPP@ferc.gov.

Summary of the Proposed Project

On January 18, 2023, rPlus Hydro, LLLP, on behalf of Black Canyon Hydro, LLC (BCH), filed an application pursuant to Part I of the Federal Power Act,^[3] for an original major license to construct, operate, and maintain the 972-megawatt (MW) Seminoe Project. The project as proposed by BCH would occupy 1,043.9 acres of land managed by the BLM and 88.2 acres managed by Reclamation. The proposed project would involve constructing a new upper reservoir, water conveyance and maintenance tunnel system, underground powerhouse, access bridge, and two overhead transmission lines. It would use Reclamation's existing Seminoe Reservoir on the North Platte River as its lower reservoir. Project construction would take about 5 years to complete and require permanently disturbing approximately 283.3 acres of land and temporarily disturbing another 296.2 acres. The project would require 13,400 acre-feet of water from the Seminoe Reservoir to initially fill the new upper reservoir and would require approximately 672 acre-feet of make-up water annually to replace water lost due to evaporation and seepage. Once operating, the project would cycle back and forth about 10,800 acre-feet of water between the upper and lower reservoirs. The project would pump water from the lower reservoir during off-peak hours and generate electricity by discharging water from the upper reservoir through three pump-turbines each rated at 324 MW (for a combined total generating capacity of 972 MW) located in the underground powerhouse when demand is high. The project would be capable of generating 2,916 gigawatt-hours per year.

The purpose of the proposed project is to provide a new source of hydroelectric power and energy storage to the existing electricity grid and provide ancillary services to the electrical grid for grid reliability and grid stabilization. BCH has applied for a ROW with the BLM for components of the proposed project located on BLM-administered public lands. The BLM needs to respond to the ROW application and determine whether to approve the ROW, and if so, under what terms and conditions. Additionally, the BLM needs to analyze the effects to socioeconomic, aquatic, and recreation resources and consider an RMPA to adequately address management of Visual Resource Management and Big Game Crucial Ranges under the proposed project.

The NEPA Process and the Supplemental EIS

The planning criteria guide the planning effort and lay the groundwork for effects analysis by identifying the preliminary issues and their analytical frameworks. Preliminary issues for the planning area have been identified by BLM personnel and from early engagement conducted for this planning effort with Federal, State, and local agencies; Tribes; and other stakeholders. The BLM has identified the following preliminary issues for this planning and NEPA effort's analysis:

• Visual Resource Management: is the proposed ROW compatible with the current visual resource management classifications in the approved RMP for BLM-administered public lands?
• Crucial Big Game Habitats: is the proposed ROW compatible with allocations in the approved RMP for the management of crucial big game ranges on BLM-administered public lands?
• Socioeconomic Resources: under the proposed ROW, what are the reasonably foreseeable future effects to the local economy (including the hunting, fishing, and tourism industries) in central Wyoming?
• Aquatic Resources: under the proposed ROW, what are the reasonably foreseeable future effects to the aquatic habitats and water quality of the North Platte River Blue Ribbon trout fishery ( i.e., within the Miracle Mile reach of the North Platte River)?
• Recreation: under the proposed ROW, what are the reasonably foreseeable future effects to the recreational accessibility of BLM-administered public lands in the vicinity of the project? ( printed page 58669)

The supplemental EIS will present BLM's independent analysis of the issues. The Commission and the following other entities will cooperate with BLM in preparing the supplemental EIS: Reclamation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), the Western Area Power Administration, the Saratoga-Encampment-Rawlins Conservation District, the Medicine Bow Conservation District, and the Board of Carbon County Commissioners.

Per 43 CFR 1610.2(e), a draft supplemental EIS would be issued for a 90-day comment period. Any draft and final supplemental EIS will be available in electronic format in the public record through eLibrary.^[4] If eSubscribed, you will receive instant email notification when the environmental document is issued.

The BLM will provide additional opportunities for public participation consistent with the NEPA and land use planning processes, including a 90-day comment period (per 43 CFR 1610.2(e)) on the Draft RMPA and supplemental EIS and will provide a concurrent 30-day public protest period and 60-day Governor's consistency review on the Proposed RMPA. BLM anticipates the Proposed RMPA and final supplemental EIS will be available for public protest of the Proposed RMPA Summer 2027 with an Approved RMPA and Record of Decision.

Alternatives Under Consideration

As part of the review in the supplement EIS, BLM staff will consider a range of reasonable alternatives that are technically and economically feasible and meet the purpose and need for the proposed action. Alternatives that do not meet these requirements will be summarized and dismissed from further consideration in the supplemental EIS document.

The BLM will incorporate by reference the action alternatives from the Seminoe Project final EIS that cover the BLM ROW application. In its description of the proposed action, the BLM may describe additional design features from the ROW application. The alternatives may consider additional mitigation measures to protect BLM-administered public lands and land users.

The BLM will consider amending land use plan decisions, allocations, and management direction to adequately address management of Visual Resource Management and Big Game Crucial Ranges.

The alternatives BLM is considering may be expanded based on the comments received, provided they meet the required criteria. With this notice, BLM asks commenters to identify other potential reasonable alternatives for consideration.

Schedule for Environmental Review

This Notice of Intent identifies the planned schedule for completion of the draft and final supplemental EISs for the project, which is based on an issuance of the draft supplemental EIS on January 14, 2026, opening a 90-day public comment period.^[5]

Issuance of Notice of Availability of the draft supplemental EIS January 14, 2027

Issuance of Notice of Availability for the final supplemental EIS July 16, 2027

The project is covered under Title 41 of the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act (FAST-41). Under FAST-41, agencies are to publish completion dates for all federal environmental reviews and authorizations. This notice identifies the Commission's anticipated schedule for issuance of the final order for the project, which is based on the revised issuance date for the final supplemental EIS. We currently anticipate issuing the final order for the project no later than:

Issuance of the License Order—October 21, 2027

Additional Information

Additional information about the project is available on the FERC website at www.ferc.gov using the eLibrary link. Click on the eLibrary link, click on “General Search” and enter the Docket No. P-14787 in the “Docket Number” field. Be sure you have selected an appropriate date range. For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or (866) 208-3676, or for TTY, contact (202) 502-8659.

Any questions regarding this notice may be directed to Michael Tust at (202) 502-6522 or michael.tust@ferc.gov. Questions pertaining to BLM's processes, including for the RMPA, should be directed to Kris Kirby, acting BLM Wyoming State Director, at kkirby@blm.gov.

(Authority: 18 CFR 2.1)